So the actual ending of "Father Knows Best" and all those other 50's sitcoms is that after dad died, June Cleaver, having no education or job skills, ended up at a soup kitchen trying not to go hungry...

More likely she wound up living the Beaver and his family.

The laws have evolved considerably since those days in response to changes in the "typical" American family. For example, when IRAs were introduced in the early 70's contributions to a non-working spouse's IRA were possible, but the limit was lower than for the working spouse. Today they're fully equal. There are also protections in place regarding SS benefits and employer plans.

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